Amazon Go • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon Go

#211

Post by JPKab » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 4:21 PM UTC

CodeSheikh wrote: post #201

Guys this is not good. As much as I love the convenience of pick-and-go, this eventually will prove out to be drastic for a variety of bad socioeconomic reasons, that most of us are already aware of. Small businesses were already suffering at the hands of Amazon Prime. Now Amazon Go wants to not only kick out those businesses out of the block but it also wants to take away jobs of small retail salesperson. Unacceptab…

I'm not thrilled with the socio-economic impact this will have, but it's inevitable. A big hope I have is that, similar to the automation and efficiency boost of agriculture (once upon a time most humans worked in farming), this will unlock huge sums of money that can be diverted to other hard to automate services that will employ these folks.

Re: Amazon Go

#212

Post by antris » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 4:22 PM UTC

CodeSheikh wrote: post #201

Guys this is not good. As much as I love the convenience of pick-and-go, this eventually will prove out to be drastic for a variety of bad socioeconomic reasons, that most of us are already aware of. Small businesses were already suffering at the hands of Amazon Prime. Now Amazon Go wants to not only kick out those businesses out of the block but it also wants to take away jobs of small retail salesperson. Unacceptab…

Then don't go there.

Re: Amazon Go

#213

Post by Coding_Cat » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 4:22 PM UTC

ceejayoz wrote: post #71

helipad wrote: post #10

Technology aside, shoppers are going to feel so weird doing this at the beginning. There's already social anxiety when people pay for things and walk past a security guard, or a security barrier. Whether it's an airport, or a clothes store, or a ticket barrier, there's always a nervousness about being called out. It's bad enough in the Apple Store where you can pay and walk out, this will take some real getting used…

I'd worry a little about shitty reception on my phone meaning I'm actually shoplifting without realizing it.

Well, there is always a mens-rea argument. If Amazon wants to offer this type of store and the technology fails to pick something up you can't really be faulted for not paying for it (without noticing).

Re: Amazon Go

#214

Post by mr_gmc » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 4:22 PM UTC

So it can identify what items you are picking up but still needs a QR code to assign you to your amazon account?

Re: Amazon Go

#215

Post by oaktowner » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 4:22 PM UTC

Interesting that they say "Amazon Go is currently open to Amazon employees in our Beta program, and will open to the public in early 2017."

Generally "beta" implies that non-employees are using it. This is more of a dogfooding program (though maybe they wanted to avoid that term since they're selling human food this way!).

Re: Amazon Go

#216

Post by oaktowner » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 4:22 PM UTC

Interesting that they say "Amazon Go is currently open to Amazon employees in our Beta program, and will open to the public in early 2017."

Generally "beta" implies that non-employees are using it. This is more of a dogfooding program (though maybe they wanted to avoid that term since they're selling human food this way!).

Re: Amazon Go

#217

Post by wehadfun » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 4:22 PM UTC

excalibur wrote: post #91

What happens when you don't have enough money available to Amazon to cover all the things you grabbed? Do they give you a window to return items before banning you from the store and/or notifying police?

Wonddered the same thing. Also what if you dont want your purchases to end up in the cloud. Can you still pay with cash?

Re: Amazon Go

#218

Post by jpalomaki » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 4:23 PM UTC

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #74

elicash wrote: post #43

I worked at a grocery store for several years, and one thing I recall is customers CONSTANTLY putting items back in a random aisle, rather than where they found it. I wonder how this tech deals with that? Maybe they figured that out, too. But I was amused in the video when I saw the customer putting it back where it belonged, because that's not how I remember that going... All that said, this is fantastic and excitin…

I really wouldn't trust 'picked up off the shelf' detection, not without the whole thing looking like a giant vending machine. RFID tags on products probably works better.

RFID has some privacy concerns, since the tags continue work when you are outside the store and somebody can scan what you are carrying.

Using these as EAN barcode replacement also has the problem that the system can't tell if you bought the product from Amazon GO or if you just happen to be carrying it with you when you enter the store.

Re: Amazon Go

#219

Post by makecheck » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 4:23 PM UTC

I wonder how much extra revenue a typical store can expect from the “impulse buy” sections at checkout counters? Unless the entire exit to the store is littered with impulse-buy displays, they might be losing that chunk of revenue and have to make up for it somehow.

Also, it already seemed more convenient to not go to the store in the first place (ordering online), especially for the kinds of items in packages that would work well at this type of store. The missing convenience was one that store employees could give you: let you pick out the fresh things you want (like produce and baked goods) and have someone box those up for you and even ship them to your house.

Re: Amazon Go

#220

Post by Karunamon » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 4:23 PM UTC

DashRattlesnake wrote: post #171

kirykl wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Avoiding getting charged is an incentive to put it back in the right place that doesn't exist currently. Maybe not even where you picked up just a discard area

Honestly, that's an "incentive" that should be illegal. You should only get charged for something if you actually take it home or use it. Anything else is a cop out to push the costs of a deficient system onto the user/customer.

It's the store's fault when you selfishly and silently put perishable goods in non-refrigerated areas so they can spoil? IMO the store would have the right to charge you with destruction of property, if not the cost of the goods they're now out entirely due to your actions.

The number of people that never learned "put stuff back where you got it" from their parents is astounding.